Public Protector tells Cyril Ramaphosa to take action against Lynne Brown

The ball is now in Ramaphosa's court

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA  MAY 30: Public Enterprise Minister Lynne Brown during a meeting with Parliaments Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on May 30, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. The Eskom delegation appeared before Scopa to explain how coal contracts were awarded to the Gupta-linked Tegeta company. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Esa Alexander)

Public Enterprises minister Lynne Brown has been found guilty of misleading Parliament by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

In a report filed following a complaint from the DA, Mkhwebane concluded that Brown failed to disclose if there had been any contracts of engagement between Eskom and Gupta-linked, Trillian.

What did Lynne Brown mislead Parliament over?

Mkhwebane’s report found that Brown is in breach of the executive ethics code. She states that Cyril Ramaphosa must now “take remedial action” against the minister within the next 14 days.

DA tells Ramaphosa to fire Lynne Brown

Natasha Mazzone is the DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises. Lynne Brown’s opposite number made it very clear what form she thinks the remedial action should take:

“The DA urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to act swiftly against the Minister and immediately fire her from his Cabinet.”

“If the President is truly committed to building a government that is beyond reproach, he must immediately remove anyone who is found guilty of unethical behaviour from his Cabinet.”

“Minister Brown has acted for far too long with utter impunity. It was under her watch that Eskom and our other parastatals were virtually financially ruined and ethically ruined. Her time has finally come to face the music.”

Lynne Brown responds to Public Protector’s report

Mazzone also labelled the ruling as a victory for all the people who fought against state capture. However, Brown has since protested her innocence, claiming that she was “mislead” by senior officials.

As reported by Fin24, Brown claims that she’s told the board of Eskom to discipline anyone who conspired to mislead her.

All the talk of Cyril Ramaphosa’s term in office has been of a “new dawn”. Deciding to fire Lynne Brown would certainly herald a dramatic change in how the ANC operates.